Rabbits are one of the most popular choices for domestic house pets for their endearing looks and personalities. These adorable animals are easily domesticated, which adds to their plus points that makes them so adoptable. With enough time and energy, you could train your rabbits to do just about anything.
However, one thing that you could not directly control as well as training them to do tricks, would be preventing them from complete sicknesses. Though rabbits are relatively healthy animals, much like humans, they would be prone to sickness at least once in their lifetime. Breeders could invest time and energy to research and commit to a nutritional diet to maintain their overall healthy immune system, but when your rabbits do fall ill, it is wise to have at least a basic understanding on what it takes to cure and maintain their health.
In the unfortunate chance that you have spotted your rabbits in a less than 100% condition, here are some basic first aid to treat sick rabbits!
1. Quarantine to Medically Accessible Areas
More often than not, a common practice done by breeders would be to quarantine and cage their rabbits from the exposure of external illnesses and bacterias. More so, their messes (feces and urine), if left unkept and uncleaned could be a nest to foster dangerous illnesses. Bottom line, an unkept living space is a nest of dangerous diseases and illnesses.
Therefore, it is wise that breeders take direct action and quarantine their sick rabbits from their existing environment. While breeders commit to a routine cleansing and sanitation, rabbits are encouraged to be temporarily placed in an environment that is as sanitised as their existing environments will be. Quarantine your rabbits in a sanitary environment to help treat existing illnesses, and to prevent said illness from spreading or fostering worse.
2. Bathe The Rabbits
While sanitising living areas is an important routine breeders have to commit, cleaning their rabbits and sanitising their furs is as equally important as the previous point. In doing so, breeders should provide warm water (cold water will shock them, which could lead to death) and gently lather their furs with prescribed soap. A clean and sanitised rabbit exterior will prevent any potential illnesses from infecting them, and in the same time treat any diseases by literally washing them away.
For sticky messes around the anal and mouth areas, gently wipe them off with a moist towel. Breeders should be patient with these messes, and only handle them with care to prevent scarring and wounds. Furthermore, breeders should also consider that there is a special grooming routine for pregnant rabbits – which is essentially the same, but much more gentle and softer.
3. Sunbathing
Much like humans, rabbits could really benefit from the nutritional values of vitamin D with the act of sunbathing. Breeders should note that the ideal time of the day that is best to sunbathe their rabbits would be around 8-9 am in the morning. The general rule of thumb states that the sunbathing routine should only range around 20 minutes and nothing more – as to prevent from dehydration.
Aside from the healthy dose of natural vitamin D, the sun could also kill off any existing dangerous bacterias that would have fostered in their exterior. The general warmth could help warm up their feverish bodies as well – thus speeding up the curing process. Rabbits need as much natural vitamins as they could, so it is wise that breeders dedicate enough time and energy to provide the following.
4. Vaccination
Vaccination is an important health practice to prevent any illnesses from infecting one’s bodies. As the saying goes, it’s better to prevent than to deal with the issue when it happens. When investing on their initial pair, breeders are strongly advised to seek help from medical professionals immediately and request for a vaccination.
When it comes to vaccinations, medical professionals would know what is best for your rabbits – so do not try to vaccinate your animals on your own, if you are not licensed. Some rabbits may require more vaccination than the others – but that does not mean that their “overall quality” declines from the rest. Vaccination is a means of prevention – and sometimes, helps treat and cure any existing illnesses that may have already fostered within their immune system.
5. Prescribed Medication
Arguably the most effective method is to prescribe your sick rabbits to proper medication. This can be done hassle free by consulting a medical professional and have them prescribe a tailored medication routine that directly treats the exact illness. They would provide you all the details you would possibly need – which includes the actual medicine, their dose, and the time of day breeders would need to feed them.
However, a visit to the doctors may not be an achievable case for some breeders with their circumstances. If you have found yourself stuck in a situation where you are unable to access proper medical healthcare for your rabbits, there are other organic alternatives to these modern medication. Breeders should do more research on this matter – take doses, types, and their effects into consideration.
6. Vitamin Supplements
Another important thing breeders should consider is to feed their rabbits extra vitamin supplements that would provide them the boost of vitamins their regular feed may not sufficiently have. The costs of rabbit vitamin supplements are generally affordable and accessible to almost all local pet stores. However, before purchasing these extra supplements, be sure that breeders consult and do more medical research on what your rabbits really need and what type of vitamins are available in the market.
However, if these over-the-counter vitamins are inaccessible to certain breeders, they could also opt for an organic alternative. Extra vitamin supplements could come in many forms such as cane water and coconut water. Breeders should do more prior research on this matter to understand what types of organic ingredients would be best for their rabbits’ needs.
7. A Nutritional Diet
Last, and certainly not least, rabbits require a nutritional diet to help maintain the overall health of their immune system. This is to prevent any potential illnesses from infecting their bodies, and to regain the stamina for prevention. In tailoring this healthy diet, breeders could either do more research of your own or consult a nutritional specialist for more advice or a customised diet.
A nutritional diet comes in many different forms, starting from organic up to pre packaged pellets. What matters is the type of needs each breeders have for their rabbits – therefore research is required to provide the best.
This marks the end of the list of basic first aid to treat sick rabbits. Note that these are just basic tips, and that every rabbit would require different needs. When in doubt, and to prevent any further damage, breeders are encouraged to consult the professionals of the field to tailor a health routine to commit to. Good luck!